


Fell Blood

by Omegay



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - Twins, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, M/M, More relationships to come, Multi, Rating May Change, Raven is female My Unit, Robin is male My Unit, no beta we die like Glenn, some lore from jugdral but nothing major, well mostly canon compiant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:28:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24713866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Omegay/pseuds/Omegay
Summary: Robin wakes alone in a field with no memory, including no memory of the scars and runes carved into his flesh. Armed with his magic, a strange white stone, and a singular strange memory of someone named Galle, Robin sets out to help Chrom protect Ylisse, and discover who he is in the process. But when something dark begins to awaken within his blood, will love alone be enough to save the world?A retelling of Awakening, featuring twin part-manakete Robins and some Jugdral lore.
Relationships: Chrom/My Unit | Reflet | Robin
Comments: 12
Kudos: 42





	1. The End at the Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by denizene/citadelity's twins au for Awakening. I really love the idea of both Robins existing simultaneously and I had some of my own ideas of Robin's ancestry/the possibility of Robin being some form of manakete similar to Nah so here we are! Hope y'all like it!
> 
> Also, this is both unbeta'd and my first actual fic on AO3, so if y'all have any suggestions on tags or formatting, or if you see any grammatical errors, please let me know!
> 
> I've put in the graphic depictions of violence tag, but for the most part it's all just canon-compliant violence that can occasionally get into the more gritty details. I just wanna make sure that base is covered.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin awakes, and finds himself staring at a familiar set of eyes.

_"...mise...y...esca...his place... Please, go..."_

_"HahahAHAHAHAHAHAaHAhAhaAHA"_

Robin fell from his dream, landing in an unceremonious pile inside his body. One by one, he could feel his senses waking up from what seemed a near deathlike slumber. The first sensation Robin noticed was the steady pulsing that hammered his brain. He could almost appreciate the rhythmic ebb and flow of it, if not for the fact it hurt like hell. His eyes screwed even further shut, trying to hide the midday sun from shining through. He tried to cover his eyes with his arm, but found it was too stubborn to move at the moment. _Ah, well, at least it's quiet. Or, wait, what was that?_

"-om, we have to do something!" The voice didn't sound all that familiar, but he could tell it belonged to a girl, near his age but a bit younger. Robin could hear the concern laced in her voice, and a part of him worried why she would hold that tone.

"What do you propose we do?" A new voice, deeper and equally concerned rang out. Robin pondered it for a second before his dream flooded back: _Promise me you'll escape from this place... Please, go..._ Robin's eyes snapped open and he lurched forward, immediately regretting it when the motion and the bright lights forced him to recoil. But he caught a glimpse of them, at least. 

"I... I dunno... Ah!" The girl jumped back a step at Robin's sudden movement, pigtails bouncing. She was clutching some kind of metallic rod - _a Heal Staff, his brain supplied_ \- and she nearly dropped it in surprise. The man stepped forward, leaning down and - _something'sfinallyblockingthelightGodsblessyou_ \- extending a hand out towards Robin.

"I see you're awake now," the man said. _His name is Chrom_ , Robin's brain supplied, and he went to offer it quick thanks before questioning how exactly he knew that. He studied the man, immediately noticing the intricate tattoo on his shoulder. His outfit was... unorthodox, to say the least, but he wore it well. Robin noted his build, but his eyes were drawn towards the strange sword hanging at his side. There was something to it, some kind of power or essence that felt familiar to him somehow. Yet, at the same time, part of him recoiled from it subconsciously. He could have sworn the weapon was shifting as it hang there, moving the sheath against gravity to pull the blade closer to Robin. He shook his head, thoughts still swirling. But everything stopped when he saw Chrom's eyes, deep blue pools that seemed to draw Robin in. Vaguely, Robin could tell he was beginning to blush, but he didn't know why.

"Hey there," the girl leaned back in. She shifted the staff, now holding it behind her back as she got a closer look at the man collapsed at the roadside.

"There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know. Give me your hand." Robin took Chrom's hand without thinking. Robin took note of the cloth strips wrapped around his own hand, and when he felt the pressure from Chrom's leather glove against his palm, he realized they weren't there to cover an injury. _A birthmark, perhaps? Or maybe some kind of scar? Or maybe you--_ Robin's brain froze mid-thought: he didn't know why there was a wrap on his hand. He didn't know what was underneath it, he didn't recognize the pattern on the sleeve of his- _A coat? Really? In this weather? Am I from somewhere warmer?_ Robin mulled it over and realized he must be, if the other two were wearing appropriate dress for the season in wherever it is they were. 

"Are you alright?" Chrom asked, letting go of the strange man. Robin gritted his teeth as his headache returned and he felt like the earth was shifting under his feet. _Just like the sand,_ something in the back of his mind whispered, and he reached out for Chrom's arm to steady himself.

"I-I think so. Thank you, Chrom." His own voice sounded strange to his ears, and Robin wondered how long he had been lying out here in the... middle of a field? _That's weird, right?_

"Oh, so you know who I am?" Robin froze up, his mind drawing a blank. _The way he said it, it seems like he's used to people recognizing him? But... I can't remember anything about him but his name and... a dream?_ Robin realized he was staring dumbfound at Chrom.

"Um... I'm not sure? I don't think so... You're name just sort of came to me?" Robin rubbed the back of his head and tried to hide the flustered look from his face. _Hmm, my hair feels kinda long. Is it normally like this?_

"...Hmm, how curious. Tell me, what's your name? What are you doing out here?" 

"Oh, right. My name is... It's... um..." _Wait, shit, what is it?_ Robin's mind floundered for a moment before he came to the conclusion that he really couldn't recall what it was. He felt his cheeks redden a bit before sputtering "I can't actually remember what my name is."

"You can't recall your own name?" Chrom's brows knit as he studied Robin's face. 

To his side, the girl piped in, "Hey, I've heard of this! It's called amnesia!" She stepped forward and leaned up, grabbing Robin's chin and turning his head from side to side. _She has medical training. Wait, how did I recognize that?_ She tutted for a moment before releasing him, looking over at Chrom and giving an exaggerated shrug.

"It's called a load of pegasus dung." Robin nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the sharp voice coming from behind him. He turned until he was face to face with a man near completely covered in armor. "We're to believe you remember milord's name but not your own?" The man raised his arms up, a travel pack in one hand and a bronze sword in the other. "I found these by that tree over there, milord. I assume they belong to our... guest." The pack was travel-worn, the straps fraying and the seems starting to come loose. The sword was in even worse shape, covered in cuts and nicks and a larger crack that looked perilously close to snapping the sword in half.

"B-But it's the truth! The last thing I can recall is the dream I was having before you woke me up, and even then I can only remember the end of it... I know it sounds suspicious but I promise I'm being honest!" The man, some kind of knight judging by his armor, simply raised a brow in response.

"...What if it is true, Frederick? We can't just leave him here alone and confused. What kind of Shepherds would we be then?" Chrom clasped a hand on Robin's shoulder. "I'm not sure why, but I believe him. The very least we can do is take him back to town to sort this out."

"Very well, milord," Frederick sniffed. "All the same, I must advise caution. It wouldn't do to let a wolf loose in our flock." Frederick glanced once more at Robin before handing over his pack. Robin reached out to take the sword as well, but Frederick merely shouldered past him. Pain bloomed from where the armor connected with his shoulder, and he felt his arm tremble despite the fact Frederick hadn't even intended to cause injury. _Am I really that easy to bruise? Or am I just beat up from whatever happened before?_ Robin went to sling the pack over his shoulder and seized up the moment it connected with his back. Scar tissue surged in pain across the whole of his back, nearly bringing him to his knees. He let out a strangled gasp before dropping the pack. _Just exactly what happened to me?_

"Easy there. Are you sure you're alright?" Chrom looked over Robin before gently taking the pack and slinging it over his own shoulder. "If you don't know what happened to you, you should probably take it easy."

"Thank you, Chrom." Robin felt his cheeks burning again at the quizzical look Chrom gave him before he started trailing off after Frederick. Robin began to set out as well. He wasn't necessarily comfortable with the silence, but Robin worried trying to make conversation might be misconstrued by Frederick. After a few minutes, Robin truly started looking at their surroundings: wherever they were, it was beautiful. The road was dirt, but wide and well-traveled. Fields of tall grass rolled out on either side, broken by the periodic tree and opening to a clear-blue sky. Robin noticed a few birds flying about, and set himself on seeing if he could recall any of their names. _That's a sparrow. And that one there is a crested finch. The one all the way over there is a----_

"Robin." Robin stopped and stared at the bird in the distance. Chrom wandered next to him trying to spot what he was looking at.

"Ah, so it is. Perhaps you studied anima-"

"No, my name is Robin. I just remembered..." Chrom looked closely at the man next to him, the way his nose was crinkled in thought as his snow-like hair drifted lazily in the wind.

"Robin, eh? Is that foreign? It's not a common name around here." Robin broke his concentration and turned to look at Chrom, shrugging in response.

"It could be, for all I know. I'm not even sure where we are right now." Frederick let out a laugh at that.

"You mean to tell me you've never heard of the Halidom? Ha! Someone pay this actor. He plays quite the fool! The furrowed brow is especially convincing…" Chrom turned and shot Frederick a look, which only made him huff in response.

"Frederick, please. This land is known as the Halidom of Ylisse. Our ruler, Emmeryn, is called the Exalt. I suppose proper introductions are in order... My name is Chrom—but then, you already knew that. The delicate one here is my little sister, Lissa."

Lissa whirled around to face her brother, jabbing a finger in his chest. "I am NOT delicate! Hmph!" She pouted at Chrom for a moment longer before turning to face Robin. "Ignore my brother, please. He can be a bit thick sometimes. But you're lucky the Shepherds found you. Brigands would've been a rude awakening!"

Robin's brows knit as he looked between the three of them. "Wait, shepherds? You tend sheep? ...In full armor?" _That's not normal, is it?_

"Heh, it's a dangerous job," Chrom let out with a laugh. "Just ask Frederick the Wary here."

"A title I shall wear with pride. Gods forbid one of us keeps an appropriate level of caution. I have every wish to trust you, stranger, but my station mandates otherwise." Frederick turned and appraised Robin once again, but he felt the animosity of it had diminished. Robin raised his hands in a show of understanding.

"I get it. I'm unknown to you, and with a story I understand is less than believable. I hope once I can recall properly who I am, I can properly put your fears to rest." Frederick nodded in response before turning to resume the march.

After a few more minutes, Robin's legs were feeling like pudding. He did his best to keep up with the others, but he was starting to lag behind. "Easy, Robin," Chrom called as he slowed. "We're almost at the town, we can rest once we get there." As he finished speaking, the wind shifted and Robin noticed a strange smell in the air. He couldn't quite place it, but it was almost sweet smelling, and he found the scent was making him more alert.

"Do you smell that?" Robin asked Chrom. Chrom turned and sniffed the air for a moment.

"No, I can't smell anything... What is it?"

"Well, I'm not sure but it's-"

"Chrom look! Smoke!" Lissa pointed in at the sky just beyond the next hill, and sure enough thick plumes of smoke began rising through the air.

"Milord, the village!" Frederick called out as he began riding off. Chrom shared a look with Lissa before they both started sprinting down the road as well, tossing the pack back towards Robin.

"Stay back Robin! If you're injured, a fight is the last place you should be!" Chrom shouted as he darted off. Robin looked back and forth between the smoke and the three figures dashing towards it. _He's right, if I'm hurt then I'll be much more of a burden than anything else._ Still, he felt his legs propel him forward, fatigue lifting as adrenaline began to fill his system. _I hope I can help..._

-

As Robin entered the village, chaos filled his vision. Fires raged across the small town, with several houses and a storefront engulfed. There were two main roads through town, both leading to a bridge, and what looked like a church beyond. On the further road he noticed Frederick riding a group of bandits down, silver lance dancing through the air and leaving a trail of crimson in its wake. Then he saw Lissa, hanging in the back, leading townsfolk away from the fighting. Last was Chrom, on the closer road, wielding that strange sword. It left a small blue trail in its wake as Chrom swung it with ease. Chrom was facing down three bandits, and he was holding his own _but without the benefit of mobility, like Frederick has, he'll be surrounded in no time! He needs help!_ Robin dug through the bag for anything that could help, rummaging through food and camping supplies and _is that a book on tactics? And what's this stone? It feels familiar..._ before he finally settled on a yellow hardcover book. _Tome_ , he corrected himself. Robin could feel the power within it, and dropped the pack behind him as he set off with the tome in hand. As he crossed the threshold, he noticed the bronze sword Frederick had taken from him lying against the side of a building. He hesitated for a moment before taking it as well, sliding it into a reinforced loop on his coat. 

Chrom was breathing heavily as a fourth bandit closed in behind him. His arm hurt from where an axe had managed to nick him, and he could feel his limbs beginning to burn with exhaustion. Before him, one of the bandits snarled before lunging at him with an iron sword. Chrom knocked the blade aside before returning with a thrust of his own, feeling a grim satisfaction as the Falchion pushed through the bandit's ribs with little resistance. Chrom whirled back, pulling the blade down and to the side as he went. He heard the telltale thud as his would-be-assailant crumpled to the ground, dead. Before he knew it, another had lunged in, this time with an axe. The man swung wildly, and with a strength Chrom was lead to believe would sever a limb if he weren't careful. He parried, waiting for an opening before he managed to kick the man in the stomach, knocking the wind from his lungs and pushing him a few feet back. Chrom turned once again to face another foe, only to see the bandit already in the air, leaping towards him with axe raised high. 

Before Chrom could react, he heard a voice all out from behind him. "It's time to tip the scales! Thunder!" An arc of lightning rippled past his shoulder, the static leaving his hair standing on end. The bolt slammed into the leaping bandit, reversing his momentum and leaving him convulsing as he was flung into one of the burning builings. Chrom turned and saw Robin running towards him, tome in one hand and a sword in the other. He came to rest at Chrom's side. "I'll cover you!" Chrom nodded in response before dropping back into his stance and facing the bandits ahead.

-

Robin was surprised to find his muscles had stopped aching almost entirely. Instead of the frailty he felt before, now he felt strong, aware, almost lively among the chaos of the battlefield. _Was I a soldier before this? I wonder if it was for Ylisse..._ Robin noted rather morbidly that the smell from earlier wasn't the smoke, it was something else. He figured it wasn't the blood, because he could still smell that, though the scent of blood didn't bother him nearly as much as he thought it would. No, it was something more abstract...Well, whatever it was, it smelled fantastic. He and Chrom had split up, with Chrom going to challenge the leader and Robin heading down the last few alleyways to find any of the remaining bandits. Frederick was busy keeping Lissa safe as she moved throughout the battlefield, treating the wounded townspeople and guiding them to a safe location. _Much like a shepherd would, I suppose._

Robin rounded a corner and was immediate beset by two more bandits, one wielding a bronze axe and the other wielding a fire tome. _Axes have a natural disadvantage to swords, and thunder magic has a natural edge over fire._ Robin wasn't sure where the knowledge was coming from, but it had certainly been helpful so far. Almost immediately he was able to find an opening in the axe fighter's guard; Robin could tell his own swordsmanship was nowhere near his proficiency with magic, but he was able to cut through the bandit's clumsy blocks without a challenge. He thrust the sword deep into the bandit and pushed him off to the side, pulling the thunder tome out of an inner pocked on his cloak. He flipped the book open and poured his magic into it, launching a page that folded into lightning as it flew through the air. The mage across the path from his conjured a ball of flame and attempted to launch it, but Robin's thunder arced through and pierced through the man's chest. The brigand's fire spell died with him, and Robin closed his own tome before recovering his sword and claiming the fire tome as his own. He didn't notice the small smile creeping across his face as he continued further into town and the rest of the battle.

_-_

"Chrom, watch out!" Chrom stared, eyes wide, at the axe spiraling through the air towards him. In hindsight, he should have seen it coming; hand axes could be used at range, after all. Why not expect a bandit wielding one to throw it? No matter how he moved, he was certain it would hit him: he could prevent it from being lethal, but a strike like that could keep him from fighting ever again. Then, in a flash, he felt himself get knocked aside. As he fell back he saw Robin, standing in front of him with his sword drawn. This close, he noticed the slight smell of ozone wafting off Robin, the sheen of sweat covering his face, the flush under his skin, and the way his hair was sticking up at odd ends. But the most startling were his eyes. When they'd first met, Robin's eyes were a cross between green and brown, (beautiful in their own way, a passing thought informed Chrom) but now? There was the slightest hint of ruby, and his pupils had dilated almost unnatrally. Chrom was taken aback by the sight, noticing only a second too late to stop Robin that the man had managed to switch their places. 

Robin brought his sword up to deflect the axe, but the bronze weapon had finally had enough. His eyes widened in surprise as the axe cleft the blade in half before burying itself in Robin's side. Chrom surged forward without thinking, running the bandit's captain through before he could rearm. The man crumpled and Chrom dashed back to Robin's side before the bandit had fully hit the ground. "LISSA!" Robin noticed Chrom was screaming, almost hysterically so. _That's funny, I'm fine. My side just aches a little bit but-_ Robin pressed a hand to his side and stopped mid-thought. He could feel the axe still in his side, and his hand was getting covered in some kind of sticky liquid. He could feel it seeping into the fabric near his side and into the sleeve of his coat as he held his hand there. Slowly, Robin exhaled and felt his adrenaline subside. Instead of the almost sweet smell he had noticed before, now he was assaulted with the smell of the battle and he had to fight back his nausea. The coppery smell of blood made his stomach turn and he could feel his face blanching. His feet gave out from under him but Chrom scooped him into his arms and guided him gently to the stone below. 

"Chrom? What's with all the shouting, I'm right over- OH NAGA WHAT HAPPENED!?!" His vision started to blur at the edges as Lissa stepped into his view, the staff in her hands already glowing. He felt the gentle light envelop him and the disgusting feeling he felt on his skin was muted to a numb warmth. Robin settled into his coat and let his eyes droop shut, only for Chrom to _quite rudely, honestly_ shake him awake. Robin grumbled his disapproval but cracked his eyes open once again. Chrom pressed something up against his lips a vulnerary, _it'll help the blood clot_ and warned him he needed to start drinking so they could remove the axe. Robin let his head be tilted back as Chrom poured the medicine down his throat. A moment later, he felt the pressure in his side give out and watched with a detached curiosity as Chrom removed the axe before tossing it to the side. 

"...Ish okay g-guys... I'm fine..." Robin muttered before collapsing into a fit of coughs. 

"No, you aren't, Robin. But I'm gonna make sure you will be, okay? So be a good patient and stop squirming. You can close your eyes again if you need to." Lissa was starting to sound worn out the healing must be taking a toll on her, _I've always found it exhausting_. Robin blinked at that, and filed it away for later. If nothing else, it did confirm what Lissa had said earlier, she definitely wasn't delicate. He closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh, content enough for the moment to wait the healing out. 

_-_

When Robin awoke, it was still daylight, though he couldn't tell how much time had passed. He squeezed his eyes shut until the memories started flooding back to him. _The battle, the bandits, the townsfolk, Chrom!!_ Robin bolted up and immediately regretted it, the quick motion sending fire up his side. At least he could tell he was in a bed this time, and not lying in the dirt again. Lissa was immediately next to him, heal staff in hand. "You're lucky you didn't rip the mending by doing that," she chided. "I had to bandage your side. Well, re-bandage, I guess. You had bandages wrapped around your entire chest and stomach. It didn't feel right to pry, especially since you just saved my brother from his own stupidity. Thanks for that, by the way." 

"Oh, uh, no problem." Robin felt the bandages along his side and, sure enough, there were older ones underneath, cut off around his new wound but otherwise untouched. 

"Is there a reason you keep your chest and back covered? Wait, what am I saying, you probably don't remember." Lissa was rummaging through his traveling pack as she talked. 

"I can't recall, but I'm sure I have it covered for a reason. I'd prefer to find out why on my own before I share that with anyone else, if you don't mind..." He finally noticed what she was pulling out of his pack - a fresh set of clothing. 

"Fine, don't tell me about your dark and mysterious past. Oh, these are yours." Lissa tossed fresh shirt and cloak towards him. "Your old ones are ruined, unless you wanna walk around smelling like blood. Lucky for you, you had an identical set in your pack, as far as I can tell. I'm gonna go find Chrom and Frederick, they wanted to know when you'd woken up." Lissa hopped off the seat she was perched in and left the room. Robin set about the task of dressing himself and getting out of bed. Thankfully, his pants managed to survive, so he only had to struggle through pulling on two articles of clothing. He had finally managed to get his boots on when he heard a knock at the door. 

"Come in," he called out. Chrom burst into the room and pulled Robin into a bear hug, letting go almost right after when he realized Robin was wincing. 

"Sorry, you're still hurt and I'm sure that didn't help." Robin waved it off and sat back on the bed. Chrom at down next to him and clasped a hand on his shoulder, making sure to pick the his uninjured side. "I was just worried about you. Jumping in front of an axe like that?! Do you have a death wish I should know about?" 

"Ah, not that I know off," Robin laughed. "I'll be sure to let you know if it turns out I do. Is the town alright?" He heard the door open again as Lissa rejoined them. 

"Uh, yeah it is, thanks to you!" Lissa shouted. "Swords, sorcery, and tactics? Is there anything you can't do?" 

"Besides provide an adequate background for your identity," Frederick chimed in from the doorway. Despite the accusatory nature of his words, Robin didn't feel any malice behind them. Risking his life for Chrom's seemed to have gotten him in the paladin's good graces, at least for the time being. Robin laughed at that, and simply shrugged in response. 

"Are you well enough to travel? We need to make haste for the capital, and I'd like for you to come with us," Chrom said while he stood up. He offered Robin a hand, and Robin took it without hesitation. 

"I think so, and I'd be honored to go with you. But what do we need to do at the capital?" Frederick and Chrom shared a glance, and after a quick battle of wills, Frederick let out a hefty sigh and went to prepare their supplies. 

"The bandit raid was orchestrated: did you notice they all spoke with a Plegian accent?" Chrom half-whispered. 

"No, I can't really say that I noticed that. Plegian?" 

"Plegia, Ylisse's westerly neighbor. They send small bands into our territory, hoping to instigate a war." A shadow passed over Chrom's face, if only for a second. 

"And it's the poor townsfolk who suffer!" Lissa chimed in. "Totally innocent, and totally helpless... 

"They do have us, milady: Shepherds to protect the sheep", Frederick said as he reentered the room. "Do not be swept up in your anger. It will cloud your judgment." 

"I know, I know... " Lissa sighed. "Don't worry. I'll get used to all this." 

"Now, get ready. We must leave for the capital post haste. Robin, if your injuries prevent you from walking, for protecting milord I will let you ride with me this one time. If not, best get re-" 

"Wait, what?!" Lissa looked as if she were the one about to faint. "We're not staying?! But, Frederick, it's nearly dark!" 

"When night falls, we'll camp. Eat off the land, make our bed of twigs and the like... I believe you mentioned you would be 'getting used to this'?" Frederick either didn't notice the smile creeping across his face, or he simply didn't care. Chrom and Robin both had to stifle their laughter at that. Lissa gave both of them a death glare before wheeling it back on the paladin. 

"Frederick? Sometimes I hate you." 

"You've quite the stern lieutenant there," Robin managed between laughs. 

"Yeah, well, 'stern' is one name for it. I can think of a few others!" Lissa shouted as she began preparing for the journey. Chrom hummed in agreement. 

"Frederick only smiles when he's about to bring down the axe." Chrom winked at Robin and mouthed, "That's all the time." 

Robin let out another laugh, but managed between breaths, "Duly noted." 

Frederick cleared his throat. "You do realize I am still present?" 

"Oh, we realize," Chrom replied. Robin really needed to get his laughter under control. _This is nice. I wonder if there's anyone I had this kind of relationship with before I woke up today..._

Frederick snorted. "Milord remains as amusing as ever. Now then, shall we be going?" He gestured towards the door, and the four filed out onto the road. After a quick word with the head of the town, Chrom gave the all clear to set off. In the back of his mind, Robin was replaying the battle, trying to puzzle out what sort of trance he was in and how he had learned to fight like he had. _Ah well, there's time enough to worry about that later. Let's get to the capital first._ For the first time sense he woke up that morning, Robin found he had something to look forward to. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first work I've actually posted online, so hopefully you're enjoying it! I'm going to continue working away at this, but I'm not 100% sure how often I'll be able to update. I'd love to know if there's any interest in this.
> 
> Please, let me know your thoughts!!


	2. Past, Present, and Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After travelling for the rest of the day, Robin, Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick make camp for the evening. After turning in for the night, Robin is awoken by a disturbing dream, but it will become the least of his concerns before the night is over...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: okay time for bed  
> Also me: *writes an entire chapter in one sitting instead of going to bed*

_His eyes snapped open as a shudder wracked through his body. He kneeled in a dim room that stretched on forever past the light of the braziers surrounding him. The temperature around him began to plummet, and he made to huddle his arms to his chest, only to find his arms locked in place by some sort of magic, reaching forward with hands outstretched, waiting to receive some unknown prize. He knelt on an unforgiving stone: a raised platform of blackened onyx that seemed to fall into an infinite darkness just beneath the surface of the stone. He shivered as the frigid air bit into him until, inch by inch, he felt his body grow numb. Soon, the only thing he could feel were six circular runes burning with a cold fire against his back. Silently, the four torchlights surrounding him winked out, before reigniting in a roaring purple flame._

_" **aH, a NeW hOsT tO fEeD fRoM?** " He tried in vain to bring his hands to his ears to quiet the deafening roar of the voice that emerged from the stone beneath him. A small pinprick of violet light began shimmering within the inky depths, rising slowly to the surface as it grew in luminosity. His eyes screwed shut of their own accord as the light breached the surface. When he finally was able to reopen them, a new figure stood before him. " **wElL, dO YOu HaVe a name, little one?** "_

_The figure before him defied explanation; its form seemed to shift with every word until it began settling into a new body. Grimly, he realized the figure was beginning to resemble him. He opened his mouth, ready to ask where he was, and what was happening. Instead, he felt the words twist out of his throat, shakily muttering "Galle."_

-

Robin lurched awake, close to hyperventilating as the black void in his dreams crashed into his now-waking eyes. His mind was racing, scrambling and flailing against the dark before a soft voice broke through: _Steady yourself, my little robin, this storm is not yours to weather..._

The voice felt warm, and the panic of his dream began to ebb. Robin forced himself to take a deep breath and waited for his eyes to adjust to the dim firelight in the clearing. He tried to cling to that voice, it felt important, but it slipped through his grasp as he fully awoke. Sighing, he sat up and stretched, careful not to exert his still healing side. A few feet away, the dwindling embers of their campfire glowed against the midnight sky. Still somewhat shaken from his dream, Robin rose from his bedroll and began to take stock of the camp. Frederick sat on a nearby log, tending to the dying flames, though he did look up to give Robin a grunt of acknowledgment when the latter began stepping towards the center of the camp. Robin scanned around, noting that Chrom and Lissa seemed to be missing. He raised an eyebrow at Frederick. The knight looked back at Robin for a moment before answering his unspoken question. "Chrom and Lissa have stepped out for a stroll. They should be returning shortly." Robin nodded, but felt an odd sense of unease trickle down his neck.

"Are you sure they will be alright alone? We were attacked by bandits a few hours ago." Robin nearly stuck his hands in the coals as they spoke, fingers feeling frozen stiff in the chill of an early spring night.

"They know better than to stray more than a few minutes from the camp, and I am prepared to assist them should they need it." Frederick nodded his head to the side, where his horse sat resting with the knight's spear strapped to the saddle.

"If you are certain..." Robin sat down on a stump opposite Frederick, rubbing his slightly warmer hands together before trying to bury himself even further into his cloak. The stars gleamed above them in a mostly clear sky. Robin watched as the few clouds lazily drifted by, content for the moment to simply try to soak up what little warmth he could. His peace was interrupted when he noticed a puzzling familiar scent in the air. _That smell again, almost sugary sweet..._ "Frederick, do you smell something?"

The knight regarded Robin once more, silent for a moment before responding, "No, nothing. What do you smell?"

"It's almost something sweet, I can't quite desc-" Robin paused abruptly as a swift wind rushed past, mixing the sweet scent with a stench he could hardly stomach. _Decay..._ "Frederick, something's wrong. We need to get to Chrom and Lissa." Frederick shot up, scanning the perimeter for threats. He took a few steps towards his horse as Robin grabbed his pack, pulling out the fire and thunder tomes and sliding them into the inner pockets of his coat. Frederick opened his mouth to question the white haired mage, but instead found himself scrambling for footing as the ground roiled beneath them. Robin looked up once again, just in time to catch a glimpse of the clouds above getting knocked apart by some sort of shockwave. The world around them seemed to dim a bit before the western edge of the sky blazed in a fiery glow. Robin glanced towards the knight behind him, only having a moment to react as Frederick's armored arm reached down and pulled him upwards, depositing him in the back of the saddle as the horse began to gallop towards the ominous light.

The ground beneath them quaked once more, and the steed only just managed to keep its footing, slowing as the landscape began to warp. A crack rang through the air as the forested plain before them jutted upwards, spewing a burst of lava forth. Frederick managed to pull the horse from its panicked neighing, making a sharp turn as fireball began to rain from the sky into the forest around them. After a few moments of close calls, the duo managed to reach a relatively calm stretch of land. Robin felt his breath catch at the sight before them.

A short ways into the clearing Chrom crouched over a still body, his sword pierced straight through its chest. The body thrashed for a moment before dissolving into a shadowy essence. Off to his right, a few yards away from Chrom, Lissa was backing away from another of those strange bodies towards a small and abandoned stone building, but the thing took several more disjointed steps towards her. She let out a little yelp when she backed into a tree, boxing herself in with the axe wielder fast approaching. Frederick snapped the reigns, and they were surging forward towards the cleric, who had raised her staff over her head to block an incoming strike from the thing's axe _but she's holding it wrong if she wants to actually deflect an attack, we need to get to her!_ Chrom ran towards her as well, preparing to strike the body from behind _though he won't reach her in time either, you need to move Lissa!_ , but he stopped dead when a figure fell from the sky and blocked the oncoming strike. Robin couldn't make out the details, but he heard the most recent arrival call out something towards Chrom before pushing back against his assailant. Chrom and the mystery person swung towards their enemy at the same time, severing its torso from its legs before both parts dissolved into that same essence. Seconds later, Robin and Frederick reached the trio.

"Thank you for your help," Chrom said as he gave the man before him a half bow. The other merely nodded in acknowledgment before turning away and looking across the clearing. Robin noticed he was wearing some sort of theater mask that hid the top half of his face. The masked man flicked his sword, dislodging some lingering ooze that had apparently leaked out of that thing. He pointed north, towards one of the groups of shambling things that were scattered across the clearing now. As Robin looked out, he spotted two more, one southwest of their position, across the clearing and pushed up against a natural barrier formed by the broken and burning land around them, and the other just to the south, on the other side of a small copse of trees.

"I'll take them. Handle the rest. We can't let the Risen leave here." His voice was seemingly masculine, but Robin really couldn't get a sense of the man's age from the sound of his voice. Chrom seemed a bit startled at the man's dismissal, raising a hand towards him.

"Hey, wait a moment! At least tell us your name!" The masked man turned back towards Chrom and stiffened up for just a moment before letting out a sigh.

"You may call me Marth." Chrom's eyes widened and his mouth dropped slightly open, and Robin glanced around to notice Lissa and Frederick wearing similar expressions of astonishment.

"Wait, you mean as in _the_ Marth? Marth, the Hero King?" The masked man, Marth, either didn't hear Chrom's question or he simply didn't care to answer as he dashed away towards the northern edge of the clearning. 

Robin studied Chrom for a moment longer, before glancing around the rest of the clearing. "Well, what should we do Chrom?" 

Lissa cut off her brothers response, shouting, "Well, we have to help that guy! Whoever he is, he saved me and we can't just leave these weird shadow things to wander around!" 

Chrom nodded, before pointing towards Lissa and Frederick. "Frederick, take Lissa and head towards the old fort nearby. Keep an eye on her while Robin and I take care of the group right by us, then we'll signal you to rejoin us so we can take out the final group together. Frederick nodded in response, hoisting a protesting Lissa atop his horse before mounting up himself. He flicked the reigns, and with a whinny the horse began a swift pace towards the stone structure. Chrom turned towards Robin, glancing somewhat guiltily at the mage's side. "I know you're still recovering, but we can't really wait to fight these Risen things. But I want you to stay to the side, just let me handle the fighting."

Robin felt oddly happy at the other man's concern, but merely shook his head. "We'll be fine if we pair up. As long as you stay in the front, I can support you with my spells while staying out of the way. Deal?" 

Chrom raised an eyebrow before letting out a small laugh. "Fine, deal. But if one of them starts going after you, get behind me." Robin nodded, and the duo began to move forward. Chrom drew his sword once again, and Robin noticed the edges of the blade begin to leave blurred blue streaks in the air around it. The faint glow emitted from the blade seemed to defy the movement around it, with the streaks it let off all curving in Robin's direction. 

Before he could question it, Robin heard a commotion further to their east. Chrom turned to face it as well, only to let out a strangled curse as he raised the blade to block an axe swipe aimed for his head. Robin ripped the red tome from his coat, feeling the book open in response to his magic. Chrom shoved the Risen that had surged from the trees back, and Robin poured his energy into the book, launching a page forward that crumpled before igniting in a ball of flame. The fire spell arced around Chrom, blasting the Risen through the chest. The creature glanced down at the still-sizzling hole burned into its chest, before letting out a final snarl and dissolving into shadow. _They seem to have a natural weakness to fire. Good information, especially since they seem somewhat resistant to physical weaponry._ With the immediate threat dealt with, Robin turned towards the increasingly noticeable noise coming from the side. 

Another Risen made to engage them, but it only managed to take a few shambling steps forward before a cavalier burst out of the forest to the east, the rider catching the creature in the chest with her lance. She dragged it for a few feet before, with a small grunt of exertion, lifting the body completely off the ground and tossing it to the side. The Risen spasmed on the ground for a few moments, before an arrow burst from the same forest edge and buried itself in the Risen's temple. It shuddered with the impact, going limp for a moment before dissolving. 

"Captain Chrom!" the cavalier, a woman with crimson hair and a fierce attitude, called out from a few yards away. "I'm here to help!" 

Chrom raised a grateful arm towards her in acknowledgment. "Your right in time for a fight, Sully!"

The woman cracked a wide smile in response, spinning her lance with a flourish before shouting towards the nearby Risen, "Alright you ash-faced freaks, who wants to face my lance next? I know the perfect spot for it, shoved right up you're--" While she taunted the nearby enemies, Chrom turned to a somewhat bewildered Robin, but he was cut off before he had the chance to explain."

"Hold, milady!" a silvery voice called out from the darkness. A man dressed in immaculate, if not impractical, clothing darted out in the cavalier's wake, shooting the woman a dazzling smile as she stared at him like he'd grown a second head. "Life may be long, but attraction is fleeting! Would you leave me in your sweet dust? Leave war to the warriors, dear bird! A beauty such as you need wage only love." 

The man finally reached her, bowing dramatically. The woman stared blankly at him before calling out towards him. "Who the hell are you supposed to be?"

"Ha! Is the lady intrigued? Of course you are—it's only natural." The archer strutted forward before standing beside the horse, reaching towards the cavalier's hand. "I am myth and legend! I am he who strides large across history's greatest stage! The man who puts the 'arch' in 'archer'! My name, dear lady, is Vi—" 

"Sorry, Ruffles," the woman interrupted, pulling her hand free from his grasp as he leaned in towards it. "No time for this. Onward!" She snapped the reigns and her horse shot off, darting towards the nearest Risen and severing its head with a clean swing of the lance. Robin shook his head as he watched the archer stumble after her, trying and failing to continue the conversation. He shot Chrom a sideways glance with a raised eyebrow.

"No clue who that guy is." Chrom shrugged. "But if he's here to help, I won't complain. The cavalier's Sully, another member of the Shepherds, and one of our best fighters." Robin nodded, before narrowing his eyes. He shoved Chrom to the side and rolled away as a sword ripped through the air where Chrom had been standing. While the two were distracted by the spectacle, a pair of sword-wielding Risen managed to sneak up on them. 

Robin felt his sight grow sharper as he studied the swordsman opposite him. _Hmm, a few preexisting wounds... Is this a reanimated corpse? Doesn't matter. Now where's my opening..._ His eyes narrowed as the Risen readied its stance, before lunging forward. thrusting the sword forward. Robin rolled to his right, his side aching slightly but otherwise not protesting. When he heard the sound of the blade sinking into the tree he had been standing in front of, hee sprung up from his crouch before wheeling around the swordsman until he was facing its back. "Now I've got you!" Magic poured from his hands into the book, causing several pages to rip forward into a searing streak of flame. The fire pierced the Risen's back before exploding outwards, incinerating it until not even the shadowy ooze was left in the ashes. Nearby, Chrom dashed forwards, cleaving the other Risen's sword arm free before lodging the sword into its chest. The blade's blue aura seemed to burn away the corpse's flesh, leaving singe marks where it struck. Chrom twisted, leveraging the sword before swinging the blade outwards, flinging the body that had been impaled on the blade a few feet before it crumpled into motes of shadow. The pair nodded at one another before darting in the direction Sully and "Ruffles" had gone. Along the way, Robin launched a small ball of fire into the air, lighting the sky briefly.

-

By the time they finally reunited with Sully and Ruffles, whose name turned out to be Virion, Frederick and Lissa had reached them as well. Across from them a few feet away, a cluster of Risen snarled at them, but they held back, surrounding one Risen that seemed slightly larger and faster than the others. "That must be the one in charge," Chrom noted as he gestured towards the larger Risen. "At least, as much as these monsters have a leader. Any suggestions, Robin?" 

Robin glanced around the immediate area. _That thing must be at least somewhat intelligent. It's forcing the others to keep a more favorable position: Sully and Frederick won't be able to get much closer with all the fire spreading around, unless... Oh, that's it!_ "They're clustered around that one tree. I can splinter it from here with Thunder. When they break formation, Sully, watch the left flank. Frederick, you take the right. Keep circling and drawing them out: you won't get as much maneuvering space over where they are. While they're busy, Chrom and I will take out the one in charge. Lissa, keep everyone as healthy as you can. Virion, take shots where you can but your primary job is to keep an eye on Lissa." Robin turned to the rest of the group. Frederick, Chrom, and Virion nodded at his orders. Sully cracked a wicked grin and cracked her knuckles while Lissa prepared her Heal staff for casting. "On my mark!" Robin turned back towards the Risen, raising the Thunder tome from his coat. He tore out several pages, rolling them together before charging them with magic. "It's time to tip the scales!" Robin launched the magic forward, the pages arcing into a large bolt of lightning that crashed into the trunk of the tree, splintering it on impact and causing the wood to burst outward.

The Risen surrounding the chief ran towards them, ignoring the debris flying through the air. Sully and Frederick charged forward, drawing the bulk of them off. Chrom and Robin started forward. Two Risen blocked them, but in a flash Chrom darted forward, parrying the clumsy axe strike before slabbing the attacking creature through the skull, forcing it to dissolve instantly. He turned to face its companion, only for an arrow to fly over his shoulder and bury itself in the Risen's eye socket. Robin gave Virion a shout of thanks while chasing after Chrom, who ran forward to engage the leader. While the two swung back and forth, Robin circled around, trying to find an angle. Just before he could launch a bolt of lighting, the Risen leader pushed Chrom back and swung an arm around, cracking Robin across the jaw. The mage felt blood fill his mouth, _but there's not time to focus on it._ Robin stumbled back a step, narrowly raising a flimsy guard before the Risen was able to strike him again. Chrom intercepted the blow, forcing the Risen chieftain back a step before brutally slashing across its chest. 

Robin felt the soothing warmth of a heal spell wash over him, and he nodded towards Lissa, who stood hovering nearby watching her brother trade swings with the monster. The Risen raised its arm back before starting an overhead swing with all its might. _Wrong move._ "Chrom, I've got you!" Robin launched a fire spell this time, but instead of aiming for the Risen, the fire crashed into its axe. The force of the spell staggered the Risen, leaving it open for Chrom. 

Chrom adjusted his stance. "You're end has come!" Chrom surged forward, spinning Falchion clean through the Risen twice before stabbing it in the back and forcing it to the ground. The creature let out one final growl before the unnatural light in its eyes flickered out, and it dissolved into dark mist. Robin surveyed the battlefield, seeing Virion and Sully finish off the last of the Risen while Lissa patched up a cut on Frederick's arm that had managed to get through his armor. To the north, he noticed Marth returning towards the rest of the group.

"All the creatures have been vanquished. This young man took care of the others." Frederick moved forward until he stood at attention by Chrom's side. _And he doesn't even seem to be injured. Whoever he is, he's quite skilled._

Before Marth had a chance to respond, Lissa ran up to him, arms slightly shaky. "I, uh, I never got to thank you for saving me before. So... thank you. You were very brave." 

Chrom nodded before joining his sister, setting an arm on her shoulder. "You have my thanks as well, for saving my sister. You said your name was Marth? After the heroic king of old?" _A hero king? I feel like that should sound familiar, but..._ Robin shook his head while Chrom continued. "Well, you certainly fight like a hero. Where did you learn your way with a sword?" 

Marth tensed slightly before scoffing in response. "I'm not here to talk about me." As he spoke, he switched back and forth between looking towards Chrom and Robin. "The world teeters on the brink of horrible calamity." He gestured towards the broken earth and flames surrounding them. "What you saw tonight was but a prelude." Robin felt his pulse quicken. _Only the beginning? I can't remember much, but I certainly feel like fiery earthquakes and armies of the dead are a bad sign, especially if they're just the beginning._ Marth turned away, walking a few paces to the north before turning back to face them. "You have been warned." With that, Marth broke into a sprint, disappearing into the forest.

"Hey, wait!" Lissa called after him. "The what's teetering where now?" She called out a few more times before finally giving up with a huff.

"Well," Robin sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, "he isn't much for conversation, is he?"

Frederick nodded in agreement. "Yes, it seems his skills lie elsewhere. However..." Frederick turned towards Chrom as his face became more stoic. "I am more concerned about the safety of the capital. We should make haste."

Chrom nodded, waving Sully and Virion over to the conversation. _Wait, why is Virion clutching his stomach._ Amused, Robin recalled a bit of their banter from the fight. _Did she actually kick him?_ He shook his head. _No time for that now._ Chrom waited for them to join the circle before letting out a tired sigh. "We have to move out for Ylisstol right away. Emm needs to hear what happened here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stars, I cannot wait for all the characters to finally be introduced so I don't have to randomly throw in their introductions in the middle of the chapter. Up next, Ylisstol, where Robin will hopefully be able to get some answers about the things he was carrying with him in his pack and the bandages he has covering various parts of his body.


	3. Old Scars That Linger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin begins to settle into his new life in Ylisstol, but first he has to learn some things about both Chrom and himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is coming out both later than I wanted it to and it's also like half the size I originally wanted it to be. I've been dealing with a lot of stressful veterinary stuff for the past few weeks: thankfully everything's been going extremely well, but I've had no motivation to do anything creative.

Even the unsettling whirlwind of events that encompassed all of Robin's current memories were unable to tarnish Ylisstol's splendor. At dawn the Shepherds crested a hill overlooking the capital, and the city stretched past Robin's sight. He couldn't help the awed gasp that escaped his lips. Chrom leaned over to look at him, a smile breaking over his face when he saw Robin's stunned expression. "It's quite a sight, isn't it? We're lucky enough to call it home. I hope you'll come to call it home as well, even if only until your memories return." Robin met Chrom's eyes, trying valiantly to stop the blush he felt from spreading across his face. _What's wrong with me, was I normally this easy to fluster?_

\---

Sully and Virion broke off as they entered though the main gate. Sully had announced she was going to gather the other Shepherds _I wonder how many there are_ and prepare them for a briefing once the Exalt was informed of the previous night's events. Virion began waxing poetic about how he couldn't bear to leave a maiden to travel alone through such a crowded place _not that Ylisstol seems at all dangerous. Everyone here has been so friendly. Besides, does he really think_ Sully _wouldn't be able to handle herself against whatever bandit or mugger is foolish enough to cross her path?_ but Sully marched off only a sentence and a half into the archer's speech, forcing the teal haired man to sprint to avoid losing her in the crowds.

After a few minutes of walking down the path towards the castle, the Shepherds and Robin found themselves weaving through an ever-growing crowd. Robin wasn't sure what was going on, but the energy in the crowd was palpable, even early in what felt like a quite chilly morning. _What could possibly be worth getting up this early, in the cold no less?_ As they wove through the crowd, Robin was able to pick up snippets of conversation: "Have you seen her yet?" "Oh, I hope we didn't miss the parade!" "Now remember to give her your most polite smiles!"

Chrom must have noticed the confused look on his face: he pulled Robin along the inner edge of the crowd until they were next to a soldier standing along the edge of a blocked off road. "At least once a week, the Exalt comes down from the castle to ride through the city," Chrom explained. "The crowds are here to greet her."

"Well, she must be a great ruler to have earned their trust," Robin murmured, distracted by the carriage beginning to round the bend. At the sight of it, the crowd began cheering and shooting with enough intensity that Robin couldn't really make out much of anything.

"It's more than that," Chrom called from his side as he waved to the approaching carriage. The woman seated inside was smiling, waving back to the people around her. But Robin noted with a hint of surprise that her smile grew even wider upon noticing the four of them standing on the side of the path. "Our people were suffering incredible hardships when she came to reign. She was so young, but she took the work in stride, and devoted herself to the betterment of the Halidom." The woman inside leaned over to the driver, and the carriage began to stop.

Frederick stepped up to the guard and said something Robin couldn't quite make out. Lissa ran up behind him, calling out to the woman before turning back to Robin and Chrom. "She's also the best big sister anyone could ask for!" Lissa explained. _Wait what._ "After all that walking yesterday, I was _sure_ my feet would fall off before we reached the castle. Gods, I can't wait to get home and take a long bath," Lissa sighed, oblivious to the screeching halt she'd just sent Robin's brain into. The guard stepped aside and Lissa rushed forward, nearly catapulting herself at the woman who had just finished stepping from the carriage. She took it in stride, bracing herself with a laugh as Lissa all but crashed into her.

Chrom and Frederick made as if to join her by the carriage, but noticed Robin frozen in place. Chrom raised an eyebrow. "But if she's Lissa's sister, that means she's also your sister," Robin practically muttered to himself. "And if she's the Exalt, that would mean…"

Frederick snorted. "You mean to tell me you remembered milord's name but not that he and Lady Lissa are the prince and princess of the realm?" Robin felt his cheeks flare up in embarrassment.

"Oh gods but I've been talking to you and Lissa, I mean milord and milady, so casually," Robin panicked. _I can't believe I remembered his name and not that he was the bloody prince of Ylisse!_ He stumbled lost for a bit before hastily turning to Chrom and bowing: "Please forgive my ignoran--"

"Oh, enough of that," Chrom cut him off. "I prefer that you speak casually to me. And I'm certain Lissa feels the same way." He paused to look over at his sisters. "Well, how would you like to meet Emmeryn?" Chrom grabbed Robin's elbow before he could respond, pulling him out onto the street and towards the carriage. The Exalt, Emmeryn, gave her brother a warm smile in greeting.

"Ah, Chrom, I'm glad to see you've returned unscathed," Emmeryn began. "How fare our people?"

"The border is secure, for now," Chrom responded. A small shadow passed over his face before he continued. "But these 'bandit' attacks are getting more frequent, and their numbers are increasing as well. We may have been in trouble trying to rout them without Robin's assistance." He gestured for Robin to come forward, and Robin moved fully to his side before bowing to the Exalt.

"Oh, I assume you are Robin?" She returned his bow with a slight tilt of her own. "Thank you for assisting Chrom in protecting Southtown. Please, let us know if there is anything we can do to show our gratitude."

"Actually, I was planning to take him on as the newest Shepherd." Chrom tilted his head towards the tactician. "If that's alright with you, Robin?"

"Oh, I would be happy to accept. I hope I can be of continued service." Robin felt a smile break across his face. _I might not know what I was trying to do before yesterday, but this feels like the right path for me…_

To the side, Frederick cleared his throat, waiting for the Exalt to acknowledge him before speaking: "Lady Emmeryn, I would be remiss not to advise caution. Robin claims to suffer from memory loss, and it is just that: a claim." The knight passed for a moment before continuing. "While I will vouch for his combat prowess, and I admit he has acquitted himself well in defending Ylisse so far, we came across him near the Plegian border. We cannot rule out that this is some elaborate trap."

The Exalt nodded seriously before responding, "Thank you for raising your concern, Frederick." She turned to Chrom before continuing, "Having heard all that Frederick has said, would you still place your trust in him, Chrom?"

Robin held his breath for the second it took Chrom to respond. "Yes, I would," he said with conviction. "Robin has put himself in harm's way to protect both our people, and me personally. More so, he has my trust." Robin felt his chest tighten slightly at the certainty in the prince's voice. _I… Thank you, Chrom. I'm going to be worthy of that trust, I promise._

Emmeryn nodded before turning to Robin and Frederick. "If you have earned Chrom's trust, then I will give you mine as well. If you wish to join the Shepherds, Robin, I will give my blessing. And Frederick, I do appreciate your commitment to my safety and the safety of my siblings. I do hope they remember to thank you from time to time."

"I suppose they do express something akin to gratitude every now and then, Your Grace," Frederick deadpanned. Robin couldn't help his snicker, especially when he could make out the mirth dancing in Emmeryn's eyes, and the rueful smile on Chrom's face.

"Are you so going to stand there all day, or can we head home now?" Lissa called out from inside the carriage. At that, Emmeryn did let out a soft laugh.

"Very well, let us return to the castle. Robin, I hope you will join us? We can continue our discussion there." Emmeryn gestured to the carriage. Chrom took his hand, and pulled the mage up and into the carriage.

\------

"I see." Emmeryn paused for a moment, brow furrowed in concentration. "Phila, please send a squadron out to secure the forest and ensure the damage hasn't spread far." The teal-haired falcon knight nodded. "And send a few knights to the neighboring towns, in case any of the Risen managed to wander off from the battle."

"I will leave now to get preparations underway, Your Grace. And Prince Chrom, please accept my apologies. My knights should have intercepted the raid at the border, before they managed to reach a town." Phila bowed stiffly.

Chrom waved off her apology. "Please, don't apologize. I know your knights have been busy keeping an eye on the Border Wastes and other more vulnerable sections. The Shepherds are happy to fill the gaps wherever necessary." Phila nodded once more before taking her leave.

"Well," Emmeryn sighed as Phila departed, "as much as I would enjoy catching up and leaning more about our new friend here, I need to meet with my ministers to determine our next course of action. I'd like you to come as well, Chrom. Frederick, would you inform the Shepherds to be ready for a longer deployment, starting in the next few days?" The knight bowed in response before making his way from the audience chamber and towards the courtyard. "And Lissa, while we're busy, could you show Robin to the guest rooms? Let's give him some time to settle in, and then you can introduce him to the rest of the Shepherds."

"Oh, great idea Emm!" Lissa ran over and grabbed Robin's arm before he could respond, dragging him off with a strength he wouldn't have imagined the from the spritly cleric. "First I'll take you to the guest rooms and then I can show you where the baths are. I don't know about you, but I could definitely go for a hot soak. Oh, and once that's done, we should take a look at your injury to make sure it's still healing properly, and--" Lissa prattled on with Robin in her wake. He managed to turn his head back quick enough to catch Emmeryn's amused smile and Chrom's laughter as he waved goodbye to the tactician.

Robin tried to refocus on Lissa as she gave him a basic rundown of the castle's layout, but he went completely still when he caught a glimpse in one of the rooms they were passing. _Gods how many books are in there?_ "Hey Robin, everything alright there?" Lissa questioned. After a beat, she waved her hand in front of his face when he didn't respond. "Hello, Ylisse to Robin? What are you looking at?" Lissa twirled around, trying to find the focus of his attention before finally noticing the library doors open nearby. "Oh, you're looking at the library?"

"...I don't think I've ever seen at many books in my entire life." Robin managed to get out, barely resisting the urge to charge in and look over the entire collection. Lissa laughed when she noticed the almost slack jawed look look on his face.

"Oh, so you like books I take it?" She laughed again before continuing, "Well, I'm glad you can remember that; once you've settled in I'll have to introduce you to Miriel and Maribelle. They have a book club going with a few of the knights, and Emm joins in every now and then when she has time." She turned and tugged on his arm once again. "But we should get you to your room, the library isn't going anywhere."

"Oh, uh, right." Robin finally tore his gaze from the books. They continued for a few more minutes of light chatter before finally coming to the guest wing. Lissa left him to get settled in, saying she'd be back in half an hour to collect him. Robin deposited his pack on the bed before scoping the room out. The room was well furnished, if not a little plain. Across from the door was a double bed with a nightstand on one side and a dresser on the other. The dresser was empty when he opened it, though he was relieved to see a map of the castle sitting in the drawer of the nightstand. To the right of the door was a desk with several candles, three rolls of parchment, and an inkwell with a quill. There was a bookshelf as well, though it was ultimately bare aside from some kind of prayer book. Above the desk was a window overlooking the courtyard. Of in the corner was another door, leading to a small bathroom with a mirror, a water pump, and a basin tucked neatly in the corner. _Oh, a mirror…_

The sight of the glass reminded him of what Lissa had said to him the previous day when he'd woken up after the battle. Shucking off his coat, he took stock of himself in the mirror for a moment. _It's strange, this is the first time I think I've seen myself clearly, at least as much as I can recall._ His hair was white, almost unnaturally so, but as he peered closer at the roots he could see no evidence of dye or bleaching. He noticed he had freckles breaking out across the bridge of his nose and onto the upper parts of his cheeks, as if his rather fair skin had been repeatedly exposed to a lot of sunlight. He gave his reflection one last look before talking a fortifying breath. _Alright, time to see what I was hiding…_ Robin started with his hand. Carefully, he began undoing the wrap surrounding his right palm. He was a bit surprised to see his palm underneath was completely free of marks. _I'm not sure what I expected, but shouldn't there be some kind of scar or something? Why would I…_ He paused mid thought when he caught the edge of something reflecting off the mirror. He turned his hand, breath catching when he saw the other side of it. _What in the world…?_

Starting back at him was a purple tattoo of some sort. The basic structure of it was a U shape, accented with two diamonds descending from the bottom one after the other. But the most unnerving part was the six eyes that rested over the U, three on each side. Each eye tattoo had a smaller pupil tattooed within, looking towards. The entire mark was unnerving, but the eyes almost felt as if they were staring at Robin as he looked at them. _Why would I have agreed to this, unless_ \- Unless it wasn't voluntary. Unless he hadn't had a say in it being there. The image from his dream flashed before him. _Where that man was chained, I didn't notice it at the time, but wasn't this mark on his hands as well? And on the ground beneath him?_ As if it could sense that same darkness from his dream, the mark on Robin's hand pulsed for just a moment with a sickly purple light. He managed to bite back his alarmed shout, immediately re-wrapping his hand to cover up the mark. _Whatever it is, that is NOT natural. Maybe I can find some answers in that library, or even a way to remove it…_

Robin began to unbutton his shirt, pointedly avoiding looking at his hand while doing so. If he was being honest, after seeing that he was really worried about what other marks his body would be hiding, but the tactical side of his brain rationalized that this was knowledge he needed. Whatever he was before, he was going to be a Shepherd now, and if knowing about his past could help him accomplish that goal, he owed it to Chrom and the others to find out what he could. Still, his hands hovered over the last button for a moment before finally finishing the task. As the shirt fell to the floor, the mirror revealed his bandaged torso. _Alright. Let's see if we can find any clues to who you are, Robin._ He frowned a bit when he noticed the state of the bandages, fumbling for a moment to try to find some place to start unwrapping from. The majority of the cloth was more yellow than he expected; aside from the slight bloodstains on the section covering the axe wound, the majority of them seemed more water-damaged than anything else, and he could even see bits of sand falling loose as he shifted the bandages. _Did I get to Ylisse by boat? If I was shipwrecked, is that how I lost my memories?_ He frowned for another moment before finally giving up. Robin grabbed a fistful of cloth, sparing a b moment to be surprised at how brittle it felt before giving it a yank. The cloth strips ripped without much fuss, and after a few moments of careful maneuvering Robin had removed all of them except for the few patches of gauze covering his recent wound.

When Robin glanced down at the mirror, he was met one again with nothing. Aside from the slightly blackish bruising around his side and the odd scar or two, his chest was fine. Cautiously, Robin turned and craned his head over his shoulder. He could only catch the edge of it, but what he could see made his heart drop. _It's another one of those eyes. Only this one is…_ He reached over his shoulder and felt himself grow nauseous when his fingertips grazed up against the marred skin. _...Not a tattoo. It's a scar._

Robin swallowed down the bile in his throat as he shifted his hand downwards. His back wasn't in pain, but he felt slightly alarmed at the numb feeling he felt whenever he pressed up against the scar tissue. He continued his path downwards until he was certain it was the same mark he had seen on his hand. _Well, at least it doesn't hurt anymore. I couldn't even wear my pack yesterday. Oh, right, my pack!_ Robin hadn't had the chance to really go through his belongings before the bandit attack yesterday, and between recovering from his wound and the Risen, he hadn't really thought of it. _Maybe that will have some answers. Or at least tell me who did this to me._

The mage draped his shirt over himself, pausing to close a few buttons before gathering up the bandages from the floor and throwing them in a waste-bin. He made his way over to his pack, which he'd left sitting the door. He lifted it onto the bed, popping open the buttons along the top. _Well, at least it looks like it was spared whatever water damage I apparently endured._ Resting at the top was a thick book, with plenty of random notes sticking out from in-between pages. The only part of the title he could make out was "Tactics Primer," and at least a third of the pages seemed to be dog-eared from previous read-throughs. He flipped through a few different sections, detailing battle formations and showing how to best use terrain in combat. _I guess I did study tactics after all._ He closed the book and placed it on one of the empty bookshelves before returning to the pack. Next was a spare shirt and a few spare sets of pants and socks, which he promptly moved to the dresser. Aside from the Thunder tome that had been resting in his coat pocket and the Fire tome he claimed from the bandit mage, there were two more magic tomes stuffed in the pack, an Elwind and an Arcthunder. _Maybe I should hold off on using these until I'm sure I know I can control them._ He set them beside the tactics book, before returning to the pack. The next was a stone: when he first noticed it, he thought it might have ended up in there by mistake, but something about it felt familiar. As he picked it up, he was surprised that it was warm to the touch, and holding it made him finally feel warm despite the early spring chill he'd felt for most of the day. Robin took a closer look at it; something about it didn't feel quite normal. The stone was a brilliant white, almost gleaming in the late morning light streaming in from the window. Little specks of color were visible right beneath the surface, almost as if the inside were some sort of prism. As he held it, he could just make out what looked like rings of light emanating from it in response to his touch. The stone itself was a near perfect sphere, though Robin could tell it wasn't quite round; instead it was made up of countless tiny facets that were small enough that they gave off the illusion of a rounded surface. It felt… soothing. He set it down on the bed, taking a second to mourn the loss of its warmth before diving back in.

As his hand began scraping along the bottom of the pack, he let out a started yelp when he felt something slice into his finger. Much more carefully, he pulled out a mess kit along with a now bloodied paring knife. Setting it on the nightstand, he started looking around the room for something to bandage his finger with. Absentmindedly, Robin took the stone from the bed in his other hand. He eyed the parchment for a moment, debating if he should rip an edge off to use temporarily, until he realized his finger had stopped hurting. He looked down, and noticed he was holding the stone, hovering out just over his injured finger, which was rapidly healing underneath its faint glow. It took a second for him to register his own magic flowing through the stone, sightly amplifying the glow and causing it to shimmer as the light cause the cut to knit itself closed with a thin black scab, which promptly fell away painlessly to reveal his finger, good as new. _Well, that's a neat trick. I guess now I know why I thought I could do healing magic._

He glanced down at his side, the bandages still slightly visible with his shirt unbuttoned. Mentally he shrugged as he unbuttoned the shirt once again. He winced slightly as he pulled the bandages back, noting that at least he wasn't pulling any of the scabbing loose. What he initially thought were bruises seemed to be that same dark scabbing he'd seen on his finger. _Must be a side effect of heading magic?_ He shifted uncomfortably for a moment as the injury made contact with fresh air: it still felt incredibly sensitive and a bit painful. He sighed in relief as the stone's light washed over it, and he could see the scabbing harden for a minute before it began falling away in chunks. Underneath, the skin was still a bit raw and very pink, but when he pressed up against his side, it didn't hurt in the slightest. As he bent down to clean up, something in his brain clicked. _Those aren't scabs. What in the… why do they look like scales?_ Sure enough, as he picked one up he was certain it was far too hard to be anything but a scale of some sort. And judging from the size and thickness of them, they weren't normal scales either. _This can't be normal, can it?_ He buttoned his shirt once again while contemplating what to do with the scales. Unsure of the best course of action, Robin stuffed the scales into a side pocket on his pack, resolving to investigate it later.

For now, there was one last item in the pack. With a bit of straining, he pulled out an iron box wrapped up in a leather bag, roughly the same size as the tactics book. The first warning sign was that when he removed the covering over the box, it was completely covered in chains and padlocks, despite already being some sort of lock box. The second was the unnerving chill it seemed to be exuding. Robin was startled when he noticed a faint glow coming from beneath his bandaged hand, the light growing stronger and more steady the closer he got to the box. In turn, the stone in his other hand was growing even brighter, shining to an extreme degree as if to counter the box. Pulling the stone close to his chest, Robin took a deep breath before letting his other hand graze the surface of the metal.

_**HrguahahaAhHAHAaHAHA** _

Robin fell backwards as he pulled away from the box as quickly as he could. He scrambled to get up, grabbing a fistful of the blanket to cover his hand as he slammed the box back into the leather bag, which he threw back into the bottom of his pack before closing it and stuffing it into the bottom drawer of the dresser. As soon as the box was covered again, the glow from his hand dissipated, and the light from the stone faded back to the soothing luminosity it was before. _Why the hell do I have that?!?_ He stood frozen for several minutes, trying in vain to recall anything about how he came in possession of that box and what kind of link it had with his tattoo that it could cause it to glow.

He was started from his thoughts by a series of knocks at the door. "Robin," Lissa called from the hallway, "can I come in? I wanna take a look at your side and then we can head to the baths." Robin unlatched the door, revealing the cleric, staff in hand. Lissa flashed him a bright smile before letting herself in. "Well," she said while twirling her staff, "should we get started?"

"Oh, I kind of, uh…" Robin looked around sheepishly while trying to figure out how to word what had happened without sounding either crazy or like some otherworldly creature. Lissa raised an eyebrow at his stammering. "I don't really know how, but I healed it. Entirely. With this rock." He held up the stone so Lissa could see it. When she looked Robin like he'd grown two more heads, he shrugged and lifted part of his shirt, revealing the completely healed area.

"Hang on, you know healing magic?" Lissa shook her head in disbelief before continuing, mostly to herself. "How did you even cast it without a staff?"

"Again, I used this stone. Somehow, I'm not really sure. It just started glowing and everything patched itself up."

"Huh? Let me see that." Lissa snatched the stone from him, holding it up against the gemstone embedded in her staff. As she was holding it, it began to once again glow, but much fainter than before, _and Lissa doesn't even seen to notice?_ "This is definitely not a Healstone. Or Mend, or Physic… Maybe it's a Recoverstone?"

"Uh, Lissa? Can you not see it glowing?" Lissa cocked her head to the side, pulling the stone close to her face.

"Nope, nothing," she replied before dropping the stone onto the bed and moving into Robin's personal space. "Are you sure you're feeling alright?" She pressed a hand against his forehead before frowning slightly. "You feel warm, but maybe not warm enough to be feverish. Hmm…"

"Maybe I'm just tired? We've been busy the last 24 or so hours."

"Well, I guess that could be it… In that case," Lissa perked up while clasping get hands together, "let's get you to the baths. I don't know about you, but I am ready to get all this dirt off of me. Who even thinks sleeping outside is a good idea?" Lissa rambled on as she led Robin from the room and down a few more hallways before stopping in front of a series of doors. "We're here! There will be towels, soaps, and a hanging rack for your clothes already inside. I'll meet you back at your room in an hour, and we can introduce you to the rest of the Shepherds!" Lissa all but skipped further down the hall before slipping into one of the rooms. Robin shook his head before entering the room before him. After some preparations and figuring out how the water system worked, Robin sighed as he dank down to his nose in warm water. _Gods, they're going to have to drag me out of here_ , he thought to himself, before fully submerging in the water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really excited for next chapter; I'm finally going to be introducing Raven into the story. While I'm writing predominantly from Robin's pov, I might start switching it up and adding occasional snippets from Chrom and Raven, and maybe some of the kids as well as we get farther down the line.


	4. Author's Note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a personal update for y'all!

Hi y'all, I am super sorry that this is not actually a real update, but I just wanted to let you know this fic is **_not_** abandoned. I ended up getting a new job shortly after posting chapter 3, which was very exciting because it actually has benefits and is remote which was very exciting since it means I didn't and don't have to work retail at an essential business that gave literally no shits about keeping us safe. But the downside is that my new job has been very very writing intensive. Now that I am a few months in and more used to the workload, I feel like I can finally start writing for fun again, so I promise I am working on an update that will hopefully be done by the end of October. Thanks for your patience and your interest in this fic :)


End file.
